Bless Your Heart Giftique: November 2011

Hey chicas...

thought I would bring you a cool

HOW TO

that you can use to make some really neat gifts

for ALL of your FRIENDS

FIRST find a t-shirt that is 100 % cotton

and SOFT

and try to get a color that you like or

your friend would like...

needs to be L, XL, or XXL

I found this grey and black striped #

at my second favorite store...

in order to make a scarf for each of your buds

be sure to get your shirts on sale :)

start by cutting right under the armpits...

never thought I would use that word on this blog

just the word is gross but the thought of the word is

YUCKY YUCK YUCK...

armpit....

anywho... cut under the armpits and then put the armpitty portion to the side
you don't need that part anymore

next cut the bottom hem off

and put it to the side

you do need this at the end

start cutting strips

they need to be no bigger than an inch

NO NEED TO MEASURE

I just used my thumb as a benchmark...

I never used a ruler

just my thumb and knuckle :)
keep-n it EASY!!!

the stripes on this shirt made it easy to cut

make sure you pick a GOOD pair of scissors too!!!

try not to make your cuts look like a kindergartner cut it

after you have all of your strips cut out...

try to have at least 12

you need to line them up using the seam as your guide

see?

lay the seams one on top of another

keep stacking the seams

when you get all of them stacked

STREEEEEEEEEEETCH

you need to pull from both sides to get the strips to stretch out!!

now don't pull like you are the HULK

BUT pull hard enough on the strips so that the edges curl up

keep pulling and stretching

the strips will become much longer

lay them out and match up the seams again

if you think you would like the strips longer you can stretch the strip

one by one

when you are done stretching

be sure to line up the seams again!!!

grab the hem piece you cut off earlier

and cut off both seams so you

get 2 strips

stretch those two pieces

you will pop the hem and that is FINE!!!

stretch stretch stretch

take one hem piece and tie it around ALL of the strips right next to where

the seams are lined up

you will tie it into a VERY TIGHT knot

start wrapping the strip around the loops...

wrap it tight...

keep wrapping and try to keep it even

stop after you have covered the seams...

I usually have one that is about 1 1/2 inches long

when you decide you have wrapped it enough

you tie it off with one of the strips

again tie a tight knot

trim the extra off

you will do this for the other end of seams too

try to make them the same length!!!

and now you are done!!!

to wear it you double it around your neck!!!

with the seam wrappers in the back

SUPER CUTE

HUH???

I am making these for all of my best buds

I have bought tees in all of their favorite colors

OR their college colors...

see???

uh oh ... longhorn colors on the blog...

watch out...

K&R can pretty much assume this orange t-scarf is not theirs!!!

one thing I want you to notice is

the gray striped tee was a size large

and the orange one was a double X

it doesn't really show in the pics but the orange one

is much longer

alrighty that is my HOW TO

I hope you liked it and I hope you go and make one of these!!!

I get TONS of compliments on mine!!!

PEACE * LOVE & T-SCARVES

So when you get invited to the Christmas Affair in Austin

you don't say NO!!!

You ask when!!!

This is the 3rd year I have gone and it is a BLAST

EVERY YEAR!!!

It is SOOOOOOO worth the drive!!!

and the traffic

and the parking cost

and did I mention the traffic...

anywho SO WORTH IT!!!!

Every year the Junior League of Austin picks a FaNtaBuLouS theme and

this year they did not disappoint!!!

The theme is.....

Well what do you do when you get there?
First you OOH and AHHHH over the decor!!!!

and then of course
you
Go find these CrAy CrAy girls...

one of their SHOW neighbors is from Laredo and they told the girls
the BYH booth is more FeStiVe than a FiEsTa
(well not really in those words... but kinda)
and can you believe these girls did NOT win best booth...
insert super frowny face here

BUT we did not let that ruin our fun!!!!
K&R had recruited one of their besties to come help and work!!!
I LOVE E...

and e loves the flamingo

E held down the fort while K,R,& I (and my mama) went on a shopping trip...
straight to Ga GA's booth

Ga Ga is a modern baby and children's boutique located in Austin....
2810 Manchaca Rd. to be more specific...
BUT today they were K&R's fave booth...

the booth is super cute and has some great baby gear
I LOVED the rubber teething necklaces...
YES teething necklaces...
look them up here
super cool
and SUPER CUTE

BUT that is not what k&r had in mind...
do you see those cute dresses hanging up
YEPPERS
L&Z needs one or two...

decisions decisions...
these cute dresses are made out of vintage scarves...
and are WAY cute for RODEO time!!!
and after a lot of talk and pointing and looking and talking and pointing
k&r finally agreed

Z gets the green one...YAY

good choice girls!!!

after a quick

yes yes hold this

we will be back

ok thank you

we left
and headed back for the BYH fabulous fiesta booth

(that didn't win a prize)

BUT on the way back R spots this...

and she bought me one...

under a deal that if there was some UBER goodness

I give her that and then I could have the rest...

did I mind

NO...

so which one to pick????

I picked the cute one with the polka dotted ribbon right in front...

the object of this is to shake the boxes and see which ones feel heavier than the others...

the heavier it is the more coupons inside :)

I grabbed the box and headed back to R

I let her do the honors of opening OUR box...

we had 4 coupons inside...BUMMER

you can get up to 8

now look at her face... is that a good face or not good face?

these are the coupons we got...

ONE REALLY Good one was Basic Couture..

ALL of our coupons were for $25 worth of merchandise from 4 different booths...

R OF COURSE kept Basic Couture....

it is a really neat booth that specializes in personalized products...

plates, clothes, pillows, and much much more...

R gave me the other 3 coupons and I was on a mission to find these other booths...

did I mention my mom came with me?

It is like a tradition we go together every year...fun mom and daughter times fo SHO

anywho... we (mom and I) set out to find these other booths

to collect on our FREE $25 in merchandise :)

along the way we stopped at other booths too...

one of the booths was selling these cute book sets...
so cute and would be perfect for my D!!!

another booth we (mom & I) liked
OK LOVED
was BMiley Designs
Belinda creates these AH-Mazing and fantastic yarn wreaths...
LOVE THEM
WANT THEM
Mom and I couldn't decide on which ONE to get...
there were so many cute ones to choose from!!!

really thought the black and white one was my FAVE but then I saw....

those swinging OWLS are to die for...
I LOVE owls!!!!
BUT then I spotted this....

and I LOVE LOVE LOVE gnomes!!!!
These were all super cute!!!
well let's make a LOOOOONG search very short....
mom and I found the other 3 booths
1 was a pottery booth and had BEE U TEE FULL platters and chargers and place settings
but those things were not on my list...so on to the next booth...
then we found the next one...
it was a BBQ place...
not on my list...
then the last one I had was for a jewelry booth...
we knew it was a good one because
it was SUPER hard to get in there
their stuff was real SpArKLy
and we know I LOVE SPARKLY!!!
mom and I looked and looked at all of their YUMMIES
but in the end I felt slightly guilty and decided to give that coupon to R too!!!
So we headed back to the BYH Booth
which by the way did NOT win a booth award (did I say that)

see how FESTIVE FIESTA it is???
it is AYE QUE LINDA!!!

when mom and I got back I got to see some BYH favorites...

like Daphne
LOVE THE DRESS DAPHNE
and Denise

Denise was busy telling K&R her plan
to tackle the mass amount of delicious and unique booths
at the Palmer Center...
she had a good plan...
first she was going to get a map
then OOOH & AHHHH over the huge tree and decor
then she was going to buy one of those mystery box thinga ma jigs
then she was going to go up and down the rows
and use all of her coupons from her mystery box...
good plan D
good plan

I like the get a map idea!!!
Mama and I could have used one when we were
searching for our coupon stores!!!

so that about sums up my (and my mama's) trip to

Christmas Affair...

It was a BLAST and always is!!!

I highly suggest you go and check it out!!!

It is worth the trip!!!

OH you want to know what I bought?

WELL.... I got some stocking stuffers and a t-shirt and

of course I bought the show special...2 for $20

and that was just at the BYH booth (that didn't win an award)

and I can't tell you what else I got because I have family that read this
and they are NOSE_EEE and then they are going to
HOPE and DREAM that the gifts I reveal on here are their Christmas gifts
and then imagine the disappointment, jealously, envy, ~~hair pulling, stealing~~, and bawling
when they open their gift and it was not a BQ featured Christmas Affair gift...
Imagine my holiday stress...

so I leave you with 2 things...
ONE
nothing to do on Saturday or Sunday?
HEAD TO AUSTIN!!!
head to the Palmer Event Center

The market opens Saturday, November 19th from 10:00am-7:00pm; and Sunday, November 20th from 11:00am-5:00pm. Tickets are $12 per guest. Children 5 years and under may enter at no charge. Strollers and/or pull carts are not allowed in the venue

it is SOOO SOOO WORTH IT...
OVER 200 VENDORS!!!
one stop shopping for Christmas!!!

and 2

the BQ would like to award the BYH girls with....